Meet the team

Centre Proprietor

Ruaridh Ormiston

I have been involved with horses and pones all of my life and of course especially the family business of Highland Ponies. I helped my father, from as young as I can remember, with running the pony trekking. I finally took over on my own account in 1992 at Croila Stables in the village at Newtonmore and have been running my own operation since then. In February 2008 we moved out to the new yard at Biallid Farm (Newtonmore Riding Centre) where my grandfather and father had run the pony trekking before me from as early as 1952.

It is a great way of life and I thoroughly enjoy it. It is very satisfying to see the local children progresing so well at Pony Club as well as seeing tourists enjoying themselves and returning time and time again. I am very lucky to have such a dedicated and enthusiastic team, and could not run NRC without them all, and of course not forgetting the horses and ponies themselves who we all love.

I qualified as a Centre Supervisor with BET and TRSS in 1995 and just recently did my Centre Operator’s Exam with the TRSS too. I have my HSE First Aid and I am also an accredited Pony Club Instructor, I have done loads of courses in my real job that are also releveant to the riding centre: Risk Assessment, COSHH, Quality Management, HR Management, Finance, Marketing, Safety Management Systems, etc

My hobbies include riding, carriage driving, motorcycles, boats, Highland Cattle and socialising. I also work in the international oil industry as an engineer in the drilling and exploration sector which gives me lots of opportunity for travel and seeing what the rest of the world does with horses !

My vision for NRC is that we have the best run facility in the area that people, staff and volunteers can all really enjoy coming to – with a considerable emphasis on having fun !!

I look forward to meeting you when you come to visit us here in the Highlands at Newtonmore.

We have all sorts of horses at Newtonmore for you to ride and I am sure you will not be disappointed.

Centre Manager

Hannah Accorsini

Hannah first came to us when she was a student in 2014 and then went on to do a season at another busy riding and pony trekking using Highland Ponies in 2015, She came back to us in 2016 and did her Senior Ride Leader before taking over as the day to day manager of the riding centre and pony trekking in 2017.

Hannah has three horses of her own and her favourite discipline is show jumping and she competes with her own horses.

Hannah graduated from the North of Scotland College with her HND in HOrse Management and also has her Senior Ride Leader from the TRSS, Riding and Road Safety, Safe Guarding and Protecting etc.

HHF Centre Manager

Becca Cameron

Becca is freelance and has her own business Ruthven Equestrian but we are lucky that she is able to give us time to help as an instructor and to also train young horses and help with the Highland Pony Stud and youngstock.

Becca graduated from University before getting her UKCC2 and also her TRSS Senior Ride Leader.

Qualifications- BSC (Hons)

Equestrian Sports Science- UKCC

Level 2 – Emergency First Aid- Safeguarding Children

Chief Pony Club Instructor (Volunteer)

Annabelle Eccles

Annabelle has been running our Pony Club Centre for 10 years now and brought all of her knowledge and experience of running a Pony Club Centre and Camps for one of her relations down south to help us at Newtonmore and now at Highland Horse Fun Kingussie for the Cairngorms Pony Club Centre.

During her time at the Centre Annabelle has done her Introduction to Pony Club Coaching and achieved accreditation with the Pony Club as an Instructor. In addition to this she recently passed her UK Coaching Certificate Level 1. Last year Annabelle got her Trekking and Riding Society of Scotland Senior Ride Leader Certificate and early this year topped that off with the Centre Operator / Manager award. She also trained with some other centre members earlier this year at Gleneagles and now holds the BHS Riding and Road Safety Trainer’s qualification.

Annabelle is a key member of the Pony Club Team at HHF and trys to be down to teach Saddle Club once a month. She is always around helping to organise our monthly Pony Club Rally and was the driving force behind our 3 x 3 Day Pony Club Camps through the year.

Cairngorms Riding for the Disabled Association Group Coach / Instructor

Lorraine Duncan

Lorraine joined us in 2010 as a volunteer primarily helping with Cairngorms RDA. During 2011 Lorraine has passed her Trekking and Riding Society of Scotland Ride Leaders Exam and has also done her BHS Riidng and Road Safety Test, First Aid and Child Protection.

Lorraine has been our Group Coach for Cairngorms RDA since 2012 and also has her own Highland Pony called Hector.

Lorraine also worked fulltime for 5 years for Highland Horse Fun as Centre Manager from 2012 to 2017, so really knows all the ponies and has known many of them since they were foals.

Volunteer

Pat Morris

Pat was lucky enough to grow up with her own pony, Coral, just over her garden fence. She loved just hanging about with her and riding in the local woods and on the beach. Nothing much has changed and she now keeps her young Highland Pony, Tess, at NRC, who she has brought on from a tubby youngster to a sleek, beautiful and loving pony with the best manners in the yard!

Pat spends many hours at NRC, often with a broom in hand. Her husband is in danger of forgetting what she looks like, but is enjoying the freedom to spend so much time on the golf course!

After spending 30 years working as an Occupational Therapist she retired to run a B&B in near by Kingussie. She is now employed part time as a Family Key Worker. As well as her pony, Pat enjoys skiing, all water sports, cycling and walking with her dog. She has two grown up children, one of which now works at NRC.

Pat loves to find new rides and explore the local country side on horse back. Pat just passed her BHS Equine Tourism Assistant Ride Leader Qualification at the start of September.

Volunteer

Rebecca Morris

Rebecca was your typical pony mad child, this passion has remained with her and she is never happier than when among her ponies. She started working at NRC as a volunteer in her spare time and is now our full time Yard Manager. Rebecca loves taking out hacks and treks in the beautiful mountains and glens that surround the centre. She also enjoys working with young ponies and helping out at Saddle Club and Pony Club.

Rebecca has a BA Degree in Outdoor Education and is a qualified instructor in almost every outdoor activity under the sun. Since graduating from University in 2004 she has been travelling the world, coaching a variety of outdoor sports and leading expeditions. After many years of exciting adventures she has returned to her home town and what she believes to be the most beautiful place on earth. Having walked and climbed most of Scotland’s Mountains she is now embarking on tackling them by horse back with her young Highland Pony, Tess, who she shares with her Mum. Rebecca’s latest adventure took her to the rural Algarve where she worked as a Trek Leader for a British owned Riding Centre.

Along with Claire and Pat she enjoys exploring and going on multi day wilderness rides. She has a particular interest in Navigation and is working with Tess to get her ready to compete in ‘LE TREC’ competitions in the future.

Rebecca is currently working towards an HND in Equine Studies and eventually aims to continue on to a Degree in Equine Science. Rebecca has just completed the BHS Equine Tourism Ride Leader Qualification in early September.

Volunteer

Suzanne Campbell

Suzie is one of our regular volunteers and also helps with schooling horses at the centre and Pony Club and Saddle Club too. Originaly from Aviemore she used to help Anna at Aviemore Stables and many of you will remember her coloured horse Tarquinn which she used to take out and compete on at local shows and the Badenoch Riding Club. We would love to see Suzie out again competing on one of the centre’s horses or ponies.

When not at NRC, Suzie works at the planning office in Kingussie and enjoys fun times with her Newtonmore girly friends. Her latest hobby is her new husband Norman Campbell from Newtonmore. Norman’s dad George was a keen Ormiston Cowboy in days gone by. Norman is also keen on the ponies and worked as a stalker and ghillie working Highland Ponies. Hopefully we will get Norman showing a working pony again, he has already done this at the Black Isle Show.

Volunteer and Resident Paramedic

Claire Scott

New to NRC last summer, Claire keeps her horse Yogi on working livery and volunteers to help out with treks and pony club as well as being a gofer around the stables when she is not at work. She has also quickly established herself as chief tea maker!

Claire has been involved with horses since childhood and spent many a happy summer working at a treking centre in Wales whilst studying for a BSc Geology degree.  Always looking for new challenges Claire just passed her BHS Equine Tourism Assitant Ride Leader qualification in early September.

Claire’s main interest lies in completing multi-day (unsupported) treks on horseback and she is looking forward to exploring the Monadhliaths and Cairngorms as soon as her and Yogi are fit enough.  In connection with NRC, she is hoping to find others to explore with her (oh… and perhaps borrow a pack pony!).

When not at NRC, Claire works as an Ambulance Technician and has a keen interest in outdoor sports.  She has a variety of coaching qualifications in paddlesports and hill sports and enjoys running with her dog, playing the mandolin and socialising with friends over a pint of real ale!

Ride Leader & Head Groom

Carrie McNiven

Carrie joined us from North Highland College with her horse Tzar (Croila Whisper CB x Highland/Tersky)who she has owned since he was a youngster. She enjoys doing Level 1 Parelli with him and hopes to start Intro British Eventing this year. She has gained both her NC Equestrian Studies and Business Skills and HNC Equine Care. She has also gained her BHS Stage 1, Riding and Road Safety, Riding and Road Safety Trainer and Coaching Scotland Safeguarding and Protecting Children.

She now works on the yard Full Time both taking out hacks and giving lessons. She is quite happy to teach all levels of rider from the most novice beginner to the more advanced rider.

Carrie will be taking her Stage 2 and PTT soon as well as working towards finishing her HND in Equine Care. She has just passed her BHS Equestrian Tourism Assistant Ride Leader Qualification in early September and laready has her HNC in Equine Care.

Centre Manager and Pony Club Co-ordinator

Antonina Clement

Antonina Clement (Tonya) joined our team from Russia as a volunteer in August 2008, helping us at weekends. In the past Tonya had competed in show jumping and had done some dressage as well.

Tonya has got a Russian bachelor degree in coaching and currently is working towards the BHS qualifications. She was granted a direct entry in to the BHS Stage 4 exam which she is hoping to pass this autumn. She also worked for the Moscow Police Department as a mounted policewoman.

Since Tonya has come to live in the UK she has obtained a UKCC level 1 qualification, also she has passed the BHS 1st Aid Equine Specific Course and Safeguarding and Child Protection workshop. She is working towards her HNC in Equine Studies by Distance Learning and at the start of September 2009 she passed her her BHS Equestrian Tourism Ride Leader exam. In April of this year Tonya went on and succesfully passed her BHS Equestrian Tourism Centre Manager exam and is also now a BHS INT.SM and will be doing her ITT soon.

Tonya was in the Equestrian Department at Highland Industrial Supplies in Inverness before coming to work with us full time for 2010. So if you need advice on any horsey shopping Tonya is the one to speak to !

Tonya’s main hobby firmly remains riding and she competed last year at several shows in Ridden Classes on Suie (A Highland Mare ) and also Kelpie (An ID x WB Gelding)

Child Protection Officer and Pony Club Instructor

Gillian Macrae

Gill starting helping Ruaridh and his family with the ponies when she was 10 years old, and has continued to do so for the last 16 years.  As a youngster she was encouraged to get involved and experiment with the ponies.  Over the years gill has gained a lot of experience in working with the young stock from bottle feeding and nursing orphaned foals to breaking and backing and 4 year olds.  At 16 Gill ran the Pony trekking for the summer season and has been helping with the running of the stables ever since.

Gill is the Centre’s Child Protection Officer with a BEd in Education and a registered Primary School Teacher Gill is very involved with the centre’s Saddle and Pony Club.  As an accredited Pony club Instructor Gill’s main interest is in encouraging the children to get involved and have fun at the Centre in a safe and happy environment.

Gill seen here jumping Creag Dhubh Prince, one of Ruaridh’s old driving horses, at Logie Equestrian Centre Cross Country course.

Pony Club Instructor (Volunteer)

Elspeth Rainy Brown

Started riding at Foxley Riding Stables Glasgow as a very young child, then were run by the Jamieson family , Linda Jamieson is still very well known in the world of show jumping.

She owned her own horse at the age of 14. A very nice 15.2 arab cross thoroughbred chestnut gelding.

She had to give him up when she went to train as a hairdresser for an international company in one of their  Glasgow branches.  After qualifying as a hairdresser , the company sent her to Aviemore , from there to Australia where I worked on a cruise liner for a year touring the south pacific islands, Hong Kong and Singapore.  When she returned she  was made manageress  at the Newtonmearns salon and then came back to Aviemore as manageress. Elspbeth started riding again at Pat Taylor’s yard in Nethybridge and  took a break from hairdressing to pursue her love of horses . She was also  lucky enough to have training with  people like Georgie Henshal,  Audrey Horn, Bunny Percival  (who she  also worked for in Nairn at the Owenmore stables before she returned to Ireland) Heather Anderson and many more very good trainers visiting the area. She  part of the team representing Scotland in the riding club area finals at Stoneleigh when training at Pat Taylors.

Elspbeth is now married with 3 children who all ride and have taken part in horses again after a  break back to hairdressing and to have family.

Holds an N.C. in Equestrianism, an H.N.C. and has now started the H.N.D.

Holds a Scotvec qualification as a trainer and examiner in hairdressing which I have found very useful  to transfer into coaching  with horses. Pony club accredited instructor.  Has experience in teaching own children to a very acceptable level in the sport and they compete to a decent level at pony club, riding club, show jumping and showing not only in this area but also in the south. We have as a family worked together and produced some very successful ponies which have mainly been sold on to the south to give other children great enjoyment.

Elspbeth thoroughly enjoys teaching the children at Newtonmore and the adults also hopes to do some more teaching qualifications in the future.

Elspbeth normally does one day a week usually voluntarily with saddle club or pony club.

Volunteer

Alice Beardsworth

lice joined us in March and came from Glentannar Equestrian Centre. She is our Yard Manager and works every weekday, as well as some weekends as required. She has worked with horses all her life, her special interests being horse behaviour and natural horsemanship. She has the TRSS Ride Leader qualification as well as the HSE 1st Aid at work qualification. She is working towards her HNC in Equine Care and will soon be taking her Senior Ride Leader exams.

Alice is also a qualified Veterinary Nurse (small animals) and has a BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Nursing Science, which she did at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire. Whilst there, she spent time at the equine therapy unit, learning many equine rehabilitation techniques.

An experienced instructor, one of Alice’s many ambitions is to worked towards her BHS stages. She is particularly good at teaching nervous riders, working with them in a calm, understanding way to help re-build their confidence and self-belief.

She also has experience backing and bringing on young horses and re-training horses that have behavioural problems. Her speciality is nervous horses. Please see link below to Alice’s own website.

4 Feet Forward Equine Training Solutions

Outside work Alice enjoys walking her dogs and socialising.

Rusty Russell

Rusty Russell is our K9 man in charge at HHF and was born in late 2005. He succeeded his mum Rosie Russell a rough coated Jack Russell who was with us from 2006 till we lost her in 2020, she was a well known and respected member of the team and was world famous, often appearing in the newspapers and who claimed at one time she was “The Fastest Dog in Scotland”. Rusty who’s dad was Harvey a Parson Jack Russell.

Top Dog & Son

Rosie Russell

Rosie Russell is an eleven year old Jack Russell and lives with her “dad” Ruaridh Ormiston who is the owner at Highland Hotrse Fun. She was joined at the end of 2015 by her son Rusty Russell who is now 2 years old. They work at Highland Horse Fun where they mainly chase things and give football demonstrations. They also help the children learn to jump in the arena by being a pretend horse !! They loved cosy nights in, but also liked going out and being bad in the dark. Sometimes they run away from home but they were never gone for very long ?

At one time Rosie was called “the fastest dog in Scotland” (According to The Daily Star and some other tabloids !!) and we still have the newspaper clippings.

Pastimes: Chasing Rabbits and Running Around Fields

Interests: Tractors, Motorbikes, Dog Friends, Horses, Football, Chasing Things

Sports: Terrier Racing, Carriage Driving, Motorbikes

Scared of: Big Scarey Things

Happiest when: Sleeping on my dads bed when he is not looking !!

Favourite food: Must be human food but I also like some dog food like Butchers & Bakers too

Loves: I loved giving kisses, They loved all the other dogs that come to the Riding Centre for Dog Agility when it is running.

Read More about Rosie in these Newspaper Articles below:

Rosie Russell has her own Facebook Page

Rosie was a keen Road Safety Campaigner and was seen here with Tonya in Fluorescent Gear helping with BHS Riding and Road Safety Training at NRC. We would run courses and training for Riding and Road Safety at Newtonmore.